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: Microsoft Backs Away From Infiniband">
Although proponents still maintain Infiniband offers scalability and performance features rivals cant match, the technology does require users to deploy new hardware and software to support it, an expensive proposition and a particularly tough sell in these times of tight IT budgets.
Microsoft said such cost disadvantage and performance upgrades to existing I/O technologies spurred it to pull back its Infiniband support.

"The decision was based on the current economic climate, where IT managers are gravitating towards evolutionary technologies that allow them to leverage their current investments," said the Microsoft spokesperson.

Gigabit Ethernet technologies may not have the same performance levels currently as Infiniband, but they do address the demands of a higher range of server capabilities with no additional software or management expense, added spokesperson for the software giant.
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